SSC
The form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the god Vithoba is called:
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Answer: Option A — Abhang
Detailed Solution
Abhang (also spelled Abhanga) is a form of devotional poetry in Marathi that is sung in praise of Lord Vithoba (Vitthal), a form of Lord Krishna (Vishnu) worshipped at Pandharpur in Solapur district, Maharashtra. The word "abhang" is often explained as "unbroken" or "eternal".
Abhangs are the main devotional songs of the Varkari sampradaya, the bhakti tradition centred on Vithoba. The great Varkari saint-poets who composed abhangs include:
Sant Namdev (13th-14th century), some of whose verses are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Sant Dnyaneshwar (13th century).
Sant Janabai, Sant Chokhamela and Sant Gora Kumbhar.
Sant Eknath (16th century).
Sant Tukaram (17th century), the most famous composer of abhangs; his collection is called the "Tukaram Gatha".
The Varkaris go on a famous annual pilgrimage on foot called the "Pandharpur Wari" (Pandharpur Yatra). It ends at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi (June-July). During the Wari, the palanquins (palkhis) of Sant Dnyaneshwar from Alandi and Sant Tukaram from Dehu are carried to Pandharpur, and the pilgrims sing abhangs and chant "Vitthal Vitthal" along the way.
Abhangs are also sung in concerts. Bhimsen Joshi made Marathi abhangs popular through his "Santvani" concerts, and abhangs are part of the Carnatic concert repertoire as well.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kabir's bhajans and dohas are in Hindi and praise a formless God.
- ✗Tiruppavai is a collection of Tamil hymns by Andal to Vishnu.
- ✗Borgeet are Assamese devotional songs composed by Sankardeva and Madhavdeva.
Quick tip
Remember: Abhang = Marathi devotional songs to Vithoba (Pandharpur), Varkari saints Tukaram, Namdev, Dnyaneshwar; Pandharpur Wari ends on Ashadhi Ekadashi.
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Music & Musical Instruments — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Music & Musical Instruments, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers Indian classical music, its two main traditions (Hindustani and Carnatic), gharanas, ragas and talas, folk music styles, and the musical instruments of India along with the artists who are famous for playing them. It also includes the four classes of instruments: string (tata), wind (sushira), percussion (avanaddha) and solid (ghana). Exam questions usually pair an instrument with its maestro, such as the sitar with Pandit Ravi Shankar, the shehnai with Ustad Bismillah Khan or the santoor with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Other common questions ask about the origin of a gharana, the instrument a folk style uses, or the class an instrument belongs to. Making a two-column list of instruments and artists is the quickest way to revise. Practise the music and musical instruments questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.